1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stapler having a magazine with a staple driving unit, and a staple clinching unit which are mounted separately from one another. More specifically, the present invention relates to a magazine guide for consistently guiding the magazine in a direction substantially perpendicular to sheets of paper to be stapled. The present invention also relates to a stapler in which the magazine having the staple driving unit and the staple clinching unit are laterally moveable. The magazine with the staple driving unit and staple clinching unit must therefore be aligned to have assured stapling operation.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, in a conventional electrically operated stapler, a staple driving unit having a staple driving plate for driving a staple, and a staple clinching unit against which the legs of the driven staple are bent are pivotably connected at respective end portions opposite their operating ends. Therefore, a staple driving plate in the staple driving unit moves in an arc relative to the staple clinching unit during a stapling operation.
It can be understood that when a small thickness of paper is stapled, the staple driving plate is effectively perpendicular to the paper. Therefore, a staple can be assuredly driven through the paper in a direction substantially perpendicular to that of the paper.
But when a large thickness of paper is stapled, the staple driving plate approaches the surface of the paper at an angle which is no longer perpendicular to the paper. Therefore, a staple which is being driven becomes susceptible to bending and other unwanted distortion because the staple driving force is applied at an angle in this case.
When a conventional stapler of the above-described type is incorporated in a paper processing unit (e.g., a photocopier), sheets of paper are typically inserted between the staple driving unit and the staple clinching unit, stapled, then typically removed in a direction opposite the insertion direction. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a suitable mechanism for changing the sheet advancing direction, which makes the sheet conveying mechanism more complicated. In order to overcome this, the staple driving unit and the staple clinching unit may be separately disposed to allow the paper to move in a continuous direction therebetween. However, if the stapler must be moved, (e.g., to provide multiple staples for binding sheets of paper along a spine), the staple driving unit and the staple clinching unit must be properly aligned to permit proper stapling operation. Other, problems of poor stapling operation due to misalignment again occur.